- Words Notion Staff
The Relentless backed fund aims to help non-traditional creatives on their journey with a £10,000 grant and mentorship scheme.
Last week, rising Manchester-based filmmaker Oluwafemi Adebayo was announced as the recipient of Freeform Forum’s £10,000 creative fund for his project, ‘Dollar Signs’. The two-part music video, which also comes in the physical realm as a flipbook, explores the importance of staying true to your vision even in the face of adversity. Rapper Benjiiii TG takes centre stage, as he navigates through dream states and dodges a plethora of obstacles that come his way.
The £10,000 provided by Relentless will also help to fund a forthcoming launch event, where the flipbooks will be available to purchase. Benjiiii TG is expected to perform alongside a host of local DJs.
The Freeform Forum Mentorship programme paired Ade with London director Tajana Tokyo, who helped him develop his vision with 1-2-1 mentoring sessions. On the experience, Ade says: “I’m so over the moon, not only to have been selected for the creative fund but also to have been a part of the Freeform Forum mentorship from the outset”. He adds, “I’m used to doing things myself with very small budgets or no budget sometimes – my creative ideas were just not getting off the ground. This experience gave me the opportunity not only to learn from creatives at the top of their game but to network, gain skills and access funds to push my creative limits even further.”
The programme launched in October 2023 in collaboration with UK arts organisation Small Green Shoots, as a way of breaking down the barriers proposed by the creative industries to young people. 1 in 5 Brits aged 18-30 would like to work in the music industry but believe challenges are preventing them from doing so.
The inaugural Relentless mentorship scheme is part of the energy drink’s new platform, Freeform, which hopes to fuel the next generation of creators. Last year, the six-week programme was spearheaded by south London rapper ENNY, J Hus producer TSB and Burna Boy-approved photographer, Elliot Hensford. The 11 mentees were guided on their projects across production, photography and filmmaking before Ade won the £10,000 grant.
Freeform Forum will be returning this year, so keep an eye out. To find out more and be in the know about future Freeform events and creative initiatives, tap in here.